Past Mistakes
by wencho17
Summary: Everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes these mistakes turn out to be worse than one could ever imagine. No one knows this better than Noah Puckerman, whose mistake has haunted him since. Even he doesn't know however, just how bad things are about to get, because when the truth comes out, no life will be unaffected. Summary is ish, but trust me story is much, much better!
1. Author's Note and Welcome

Okay, so it has legit been forever since I've updated anything on this site. I could go through the usual excuses, internet sucks, computer needs fixing, haven't had time, haven't had the muse, etc, etc and so forth. Although all of this has pretty much been the case, it has mostly been that I have found myself so overwhelming busy that I just haven't had time to sit down and write.

Occasionally I find myself with moments of genius where I just have to write down my thoughts but most of the time, I hit this huge lull. For those who have read my stories before you know that is why I really only update when stories are complete. I find it's unfair to start something, get people excited about it and then leave it without a proper finish.

That said, I have currently been working on something that has started to come into fruition. I have it in my mind how I want the story to go. I have a lot of it written, but am still working on the end.

This is the story I plan on sharing right here.

So to go through my usual spiel, I'll just sum up the basic points of how I write, what I include and reasons why you may or may not want to follow this story other than the usual description and story concept.

1. I ship Finn/Quinn and Quinn/Puck mainly, although currently I find myself gravitating more towards Quick. Typically because I ship both, both pairings are in one way or another included in my stories. As a result there is also sometimes varying degrees of Finn/Rachel, Puck/Santana, Puck/Rachel and Finn/Santana. Also worth noting, these are typically the five characters my stories focus in on.

2. I love drama and I truly mean love it! I've been watching soap operas for some time, so I like to incorporate crazy wild plot twists and dramatic twists and the like in my stories. Sometimes I may go overboard and it may seem a little crazy, but even with all the drama, I like to put things to a satisfied and happy ending.

3. I never give away which couples will end up together because I bounce them around like pinballs, which you will see or may have already seen in my other stories. It's quite a crazy experience.

4. On reviews: I appreciate and take into consideration all reviews. Although I have the framework for stories completed, I will take suggestions and often even incorporate them into the fabric of the story. I also have a policy to respond to all reviews as I find it is only fair for me to acknowledge comments as you were so kind to give them.

5. I don't own glee, nor the characters, nor the storylines. I just own my original interpretations of those storylines and their role in background for my original concepts and futuristic ideas.

Well, that's pretty much it. Like it or hate it, that's me and I hope if you choose to follow this story you will stick with it until the end. I understand frustration might and probably will occur at times, but it's like putting down a book just because a character you like does something you don't. You'll always regret not finishing the work because you'll never know how it's going to end.

Enjoy the first chapter of Past Mistakes.


	2. Noah Puckerman

Noah "Puck" Puckerman sat in his room throwing a baseball against the wall waiting for his roommate to come back from his class so the two could go to practice. It wasn't much but ever since he graduated from high school, Noah had really taken a liking to baseball. He never expected to fall in love with the sport, but he did, and now it was all that he really cared about. Well, it wasn't the _only_ thing he cared about. There was still the matter of his high school sweetheart, the one that got away. He knew he would always care about her and their little girl.

He continued to toss the ball until he threw it too hard and it ended up bouncing into his desk drawer. As he grabbed the ball, he noticed a photograph sticking out from one of his books. Noah smiled as he knew exactly who was in the picture. He placed his ball on the desk and pulled the photo out of the book and there they were.

"My girls," he said aloud as he read the handwriting he had put on the photo a few years back. They were beautiful, he remembered as he thought about when the picture was taken. It was one of the few they had of Beth and Quinn together and it was taken in the hospital. The little blonde haired baby looked just like her mom, even then, Noah thought as he examined the picture.

"Five months," he said to himself. "I managed to go five months without thinking of you," he laughed. "It must be some kind of record."

"And you baby girl," he continued as he lifted a few books from his drawer and pulled out three more pictures, all of Beth. One was from a photo shoot Shelby had gotten done when Beth was four. She was absolutely stunning in her little pink sundress and blonde curls. The other picture was Beth when she saw Santa for the first time and the third was from Beth's first Halloween when she went as the most adorable little pumpkin.

Noah smiled as he looked at these pictures. With the exception of a few videos and letters Shelby sent him, these pictures were the only things he had to remember his daughter. Not that he would ever forget her though he thought.

"My girls," he repeated as he kissed the photos and put them back in his drawer. As he locked the drawer he looked up to see his roommate and best friend standing in the doorway.

"What cha doin'" Declan Cooper asked as he plopped on top of his bed, trying to see what his friend was hiding.

"Nothing," Noah said as he grabbed his ball off of the desk. "How did your test go?"

"Well, I definitely passed," Declan said confidently.

"Oh really?" Noah laughed. "So when you say passed, you mean you definitely got a C right?"

"Real funny NP," Declan commented as he threw a pillow at Noah. "I really don't care if it's an A, B or C at this point as long as I get to play baseball."

"So what now?" Noah asked. "Do you have to wait for the results?"

"Mrs. Knack and Coach J said I can go to practice today," Declan informed Noah. "She'll grade my test tonight and if I get my C or better, I'm officially reinstated to the team."

"That's great Dec," Noah smiled as he looked around the room, no sight of Declan anywhere. "I guess we better get going then."

"Way ahead of you bro," Declan said as he emerged from the closet. Tossing Noah his baseball bag, Declan slung his over his shoulder and took the ball from Noah's desk. "Race you to the field?"

"You're on," Noah said, quickly sprinting out of the room.

The two raced until they reached the field, a triumphant Noah finishing first.

"No fair, you got a head start," Declan complained once he reached the field.

"Maybe," Noah smirked, "but I still would have beaten you anyway."

"Doubtful," Declan said as he unloaded his gear. "Now come on, let's start practicing our game plan for next week. It will give me a chance to tell you about this honey I met a few weeks ago."

Noah rolled his eyes. He loved Declan, he really did, but his total swag and way with the ladies reminded Noah so much of his old high school days, behavior he wasn't always proud of. What he was proud of though, was that for the most part he had left that life behind. He still dated and still hooked up with girls, but he became more about relationships than one night stands. Quinn did that to him, he realized. She made him want to want to commit to a relationship, to one singular person. He had just wished that she had wanted him to make the ultimate commitment. He wished he had the courage to ask her what he always wanted to. One question, four little words, but he couldn't do it and he regretted it, because without knowing it at the time, it meant losing her, losing the best thing that ever happened him and that's when his problems began.

Noah chose to attend the University of Connecticut because he had done the math. Yale was only 50 miles away and he figured he could visit Quinn whenever he wanted. Unfortunately it didn't end up working out that way. She had wanted to make a clean break and he was forced to oblige.

As much as Noah ended up loving UConn, his freshman year brought with it a dark past and memories he would never forget. He couldn't change what happened, even though he wanted to and he had to learn to accept it. He wasn't proud of it and he knew if his daughter ever found out, he would hate himself even more than he already did, but still, he had to face the fact that it happened. He hadn't wanted to, but in just one night, he proved to himself that he wasn't good enough to be with Quinn.

Every once in a while when he looked in the mirror, he found traces of the old Puck, but that life was behind him now. He left Puck and everything about him back in Lima, Ohio. At UConn, he became Noah or NP as his teammates called him. No one here knew about his past, no one knew he was a teenage father, no one knew about glee club. Quinn didn't exist, Rachel didn't exist, Finn didn't exist, none of them existed. He moved on, he forgot, he left that life behind.


	3. The One That Got Away

"Noah, are you even listening to me?" Declan's voice spoke taking Noah away from his thoughts.

"Yeah, I was just thinking," he said.

"Thinking about what?" Declan asked as he laced his cleats and trotted over to the pitcher's mound to hand his teammate the ball.

"High school," Noah admitted as he took the ball from his friend's hand. "I kind of had a totally different life there."

"Oh really?" Declan laughed. "Tell me about this life you've been keeping from me."

"I'd prefer not to," Noah said as he spun the ball, fingering the grip in his fingers.

"Fine," Declan sighed as he lifted his catching mask from his face. "I played baseball since freshman year, catcher of course, but I was also in the band. I played trombone. I never got great grades, but I was pretty smart. I was in student council and tutored some kids after school. I only dated one girl for three years and we broke up my senior year when she cheated on me. I wasn't a nerd, but I certainly wasn't that popular either."

"Wait, what just happened?" Noah asked confused as he listened to what his friend told him.

"That was my four years in high school in a nutshell," Declan clarified. "Do you remember when we first met, we decided not to tell each other anything about high school, as kind of a way to leave the past behind?"

"Yeah," Noah said, "but didn't you just defeat that purpose?"

"I did," Declan smiled, "but I did it because I want you to tell me about your four years."

"I didn't agree to this," Noah reminded him.

"I know," Declan smirked, "but you're too good of a guy to allow me to say mine without you saying yours."

"I hate you, you know that?" Noah said as he shook his head, knowing Declan was right.

"Yeah, I know," Declan said as he patted his friend on the shoulder and headed behind the plate.

"I was a wide receiver for the football team and my best friend was quarterback," Noah began as he fired a fast ball to his catcher. "I wasn't the smartest kid and I didn't really try in school. In fact, I was more wrapped up in my pool cleaning business which was really just my way of sleeping with cougars."

"Cougars?" Declan said shocked as he threw the ball back to Noah. "Did I just hear Noah Puckerman say he slept with older women?"

"I told you I was different back then," Noah explained. "Anyway, I kind of slept with everyone in high school. I even had this thing called cheerleader bingo."

"Cheerleader bingo?" Declan questioned.

"I'm not proud of it, but a few of my friends put down all of the cheerleaders names on a bingo card," Noah began. "Each week, we would pick one at random and whoever slept with said cheerleader that week got to cross her name off of the card."

"That's certainly an interesting game," Declan said as the two continued to throw pitches back and forth.

"Interesting is one word for it," Noah sighed. "Like I said it wasn't my proudest moment."

"Did you ever win?" Declan asked.

"All the time," Noah admitted sadly.

"Playaaa," Declan said sarcastically.

"I guess," Noah replied. "I did kind of cheat though."

"How so?" Declan questioned.

"Well, I was sort of dating one of the girls," Noah confessed. "Although, in my defense, her spot on the bingo card was kind of a free space. She was the school slut."

"And you the school manwhore," Declan finished his thought. "I can see why that relationship would never work."

"Yeah," Noah laughed, "that and the fact that she was a lesbian and I was in love with someone else."

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that last part?" Declan asked as he dropped the ball on the ground.

"That I was in love with someone else?" Noah said, attempting to answer the question.

"Uh no, the other part," Declan said. "Did you say you dated a lesbian?"

"She thought she was bi-sexual," Noah told his friend. "And we didn't really date, we were just kind of sex buddies, friends with benefits as it were."

"Gotcha, because that makes it sooo much better," Declan smiled as he picked the ball off of the ground and tossed it in the air. "So that's Noah Puckerman in a nutshell, huh?"

"I was also in the glee club," Noah added as he picked the ball out of the air and walked past Declan.

"Glee club?" Declan asked as Noah nodded. "Ouch, that was even worse than band in my high school."

"Same at McKinley," Noah commented. "You ever heard of a slushy facial?"

"Nope," Declan replied.

"I got accustomed to them when I joined glee," Noah admitted. "I don't regret it though. I loved every minute of glee club. It helped me to meet some amazing people."

"So you gave up popularity to join glee?" Declan asked confused. "I would never do that, ever."

Noah shrugged his shoulders. "I guess that's the difference between you and me Dec. We switched roles a little bit. You became the high school version of me and I became a bit of the high school version of you."

"I guess so," Declan laughed. "I just don't see why you would have given all of that up when you came to Conn."

"It's not why Declan," Noah admitted to his friend, "it's who."


	4. Quinn Fabray

Quinn Fabray sat in her English classroom anxiously watching the clock. She loved English and she normally didn't mind when the teacher went on and on about this poet or that, but today was different.

Quinn looked down at her cell phone and noticed there were five minutes left. She put her books away and started drawing or rather writing on her hand, what was currently on her mind. She put the finishing touches on her little picture and then glanced at her phone again: one minute left.

"Okay everyone, please complete the assignment on page 32 for next week," Mrs. Morgan said as she closed her book. "Class is dismissed."

As soon as Quinn heard those words she bolted out of the classroom, only to be stopped by her friend and roommate on the way out.

"Hey Q, wait up," Amanda Adams said. "What was with you this morning? You never get bored in English class. You just seemed like you wanted to get out of there in a hurry."

"I did," Quinn said as she turned to face her friend. "Today's Beth's first day of school and my mom told me she would call me before they left."

"It's a good thing that Mrs. M decided to have class an hour early today then," Amanda commented. "How is the little one doing anyway?"

"Adjusting," Quinn replied. "I know that Shelby died over three years ago, but because of all of this court stuff, Beth has only been living with my mom for a few months."

"Who did she live with before then?" Amanda asked.

"Her adopted sister," Quinn said, "Rachel Berry."

"The same Rachel Berry who was your frienemy in high school?" Amanda asked.

"That's the one," Quinn told her friend. "The courts wanted Beth to be with someone she knew until I could get all of the living arrangements worked out so they sent her to be with Rachel. It wasn't bad actually because Rachel let me see her whenever so that she would become used to me."

"That's nice," Amanda smiled.

"Yeah it was," Quinn recalled. "Rachel was really cool about all of it. The only problem was I was still here and obviously I couldn't raise a baby and go to school. It was actually Rachel who suggested I reach out to my mom and ask her to help."

"So do you get to see her a lot?" Amanda questioned curiously as the two finally returned to their dorm room.

"Not as much as I'd like to," Quinn said. "I try to go home once a weekend to see her. I think she is finally starting to understand all of the change and stuff, which is really good."

"Yeah I bet," Amanda said. "Do you ever see the other one?"

"Do you mean my son?" Quinn said as she looked at her friend.

"Yeah," Amanda said softly, knowing that talking about her son was a touchy subject.

"No," Quinn admitted honestly, the pain and regret evident in her voice. "He's with a really good man who promised me he'd take care of him."

"Do you mean his dad?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah," Quinn said softly, "his dad."

Only a few people knew that this last statement wasn't exactly the truth. Sure the man that was watching her son was just like a father to him. He took care of him, raised him and was more of a parent to him than she had been. No matter what a piece of paper said, Quinn knew in her heart that he was the boy's father in every way that counted. She just wished the DNA could prove it.

She loved her son and she wanted to come home to him but every time she tried, the past stood in her way. Her son reminded her of the worst time in her life and she couldn't reconcile that, at least not yet. She had a plan in place however and as soon as her mom called about Beth, she was ready to execute it. She wanted to come home to her son and this plan, if it worked, was the only way.


	5. Beth and Connor

"Mandy, did you talk to your brother yet?" Quinn asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, he said he'll come pick us up and drive us there," Amanda said as she looked up from her computer screen. "He also said he arranged it so that both of us can stay on campus for the weekend."

"That's great," Quinn smiled as she looked up from her cell phone screen, waiting for the call.

"Yeah, but you still haven't told me why exactly you want to go there so bad," Amanda stated.

"Let's just say I have some loose ends to tie up," Quinn admitted as she felt her phone buzz. "It's my mom, I've got to take this."

"Hey B, are you ready for school?" Quinn asked as she answered the phone.

"No," the little girl said, sounding stubborn. "I want you to take me."

"I know baby and I want to be there too but I have school," Quinn told her little girl. "Mom-mom is going to take you and she'll take real good care of you. You'll make lots of new friends and get an awesome teacher. It will great, I just know it. So are you ready now?"

"I guess," Beth said slowly. "Promise I can call you when I get home to tell you all about it?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way sweet B," Quinn smiled. "Now, go get ready and let me talk to mom-mom for a minute."

"Okay," Beth said. "I love you momma."

"I love you too baby girl," Quinn said sweetly. It had taken Beth a while to warm up to her and call her 'mom' but when she did, it was something Quinn never realized how much it meant to her. Having her daughter call her 'mom' was the best feeling in the world and she knew that she would never get tired of hearing it.

"Hi Quinn, how are your studies going?" Judy asked when Beth handed her the phone.

"Hi mom," Quinn said. "Everything is going well. I just wanted to let you know I won't be home this weekend."

"Everything okay at school?" Judy asked concerned. It wasn't like Quinn to not come home and to miss a chance at seeing Beth.

"Everything is fine mom, I just have something I need to do," Quinn stated.

"Okay sweetheart as long as everything is okay," Judy said relieved.

"Thanks," Quinn said. "Just do me a favor and tell Beth I love her and that I'll call her every day."

"Of course," Judy said. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, there is something actually," Quinn said nervously. "Can you go see Connor?"

"Connor?" Judy asked confused. "Is everything okay with him?"

"Everything except the fact he doesn't have a mother," Quinn sighed.

"Honey, don't beat yourself up over that," Judy said comfortingly. "No one blames you for what happened. You'll come around on your own time, but until then, you did what was best for him and put your son in good hands."

"You really think so mom?" Quinn asked, needing to hear those words from her own mother.

"I know so," Judy said with a smile. "So you focus on what you need to do this weekend and I will make sure I see both of your babies and give them a big hug and tell them how much their mommy loves them."

"Thanks mom," Quinn said, so happy that she had her mother to help her through everything. "I love you."

"When you become a mother Quinn just like you are, you realize how much hearing those words for the first time mean," Judy said. "When your little girl comes up to you for the first time and tells you she loves you, it's the happiest moment of your life as I'm sure you know. I just wanted to tell you that even when that little girl grows up and has a daughter of her own, when you hear her say those words, it means just as much if not more as the first time. I love you Quinnie."

"Aww mom," Quinn said as she nearly came to tears. "I know exactly what you mean. When Beth first came up to me and told me she loved me, it made me the happiest in the world. Getting to say it to you, makes me the second happiest. If it wasn't for you mom, I wouldn't be the mom I am. Having your support means the world to me."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else," Judy smiled. "So you go and continue to make me proud and I will make sure your little one has a great first day of school. Talk soon baby. I love you. Bye."

"Love you too," Quinn said. "Give Beth a big kiss for me."

"Will do," Judy said. "Goodbye baby girl."

"Bye mom," Quinn said before hanging up the phone.


	6. Cheerleader Bingo

"So you're the one who invented cheerleader bingo?" Alex Matthews asked as he sat with his teammates in the locker room after practice.

"As I told Declan earlier, I'm not proud of it," Noah said as he shot his friend a look, showing him why he didn't want to talk about his high school days.

"Not proud of it?" Alex's younger brother Mike asked as he walked out of the shower. "Dude, you were a legend at Ridgemont.

"You played my game?" Noah asked Mike, somewhat surprised his bingo game extended beyond the walls of McKinley.

"I dominated it," Mike bragged. "I was kind of a legend myself in North Dakota but was still nowhere near as good as the master. I don't believe it myself but there were rumors that there was this one guy from Ohio who never lost a game, including getting the one cheerleader that was supposed to be the biggest challenge, the ultimate bingo stopper."

"I repeat I'm not exactly proud of it," Noah began.

"Wait it was you?" Alex asked shocked. "You've only had a handful of girls in your room since I've known you. There's no way you dominated cheerleader bingo."

"The year was 2006," Noah began. "Me and three of my teammates had decided to take on the ultimate challenge: cheerleader cover-all. The object of the game was simple. The first person to sleep with all of the cheerleaders on the card would be the winner. The difference between this bingo and the others however was we included the one cheerleader who marked the ultimate challenge."

"She was the good Catholic girl, head of the celibacy club and in a relationship at the time," Alex continued as he remembered the story. "There was no way anyone was getting in her pants."

"Hey, watch it," Noah shouted as he threw his towel at Mike. "What I did to her and for the reasons why I did it is not something I care to be reminded of. I was only telling you that to prove to you for whatever reason that this master sex machine did exist."

"Tell me more," Mike said, still unconvinced. "I know the details of this story like the back of my hand. I'll know if you're lying."

"Santana Lopez was practically a free space because she was the school slut," Noah reluctantly continued. "Brittany S. Pierce was her best friend so knocking the two of them out in one week was easy for the Puckasuarus. Jessica Ramos, Nicki Jackson, Maria Cole, Alexa Hendricks, Noelle Smith, Rita Morano, Kelsey James, Haley Scott-Adams, Caitlyn Ross, Monica Franco, Lisa Mullen and Carly Corrin completed B-I-N."

"Sarah Mack, Dina Grimes, Mary Ann Lomas, Kristy Williams, Nicole Martinez, Amy Johnson, Gina Barbinski, twins Becca and Meghan Coursy and the unmarkable Quinn Fabray," Mike said, jaw dropped, as the names flowed quickly out of his mouth. "Oh my God, it was you."

"I'm not proud of it but yes," Noah admitted to his younger teammate.

Mike immediately grabbed his towel and threw it on the ground in front of Noah's locker. He went down on his knees prostrate and began bowing to the person who he had long considered his idol. "I worship at your feet," he said. "All hail the almighty one. The master lives."

"Cool it Mike," Noah said as he threw another towel at him. "I told you that was my past and I'd appreciate if all of you in this locker room don't go spreading this reputation to the rest of the guys on the team, okay?"

"I won't breathe a word," Mike said as Noah Puckerman instantly went from just another teammate to a demi-god in just a matter of minutes. "You've got to teach me though, how did you do it?"

"What do you mean?" Noah asked. "You said you were good at the game, I'm sure you know how to do it."

"I said I was good but I wasn't the master," Mike confessed. "You don't get it Noah, I worshipped you in high school, we all did. By the time I was a freshman your legend was known at my school. I copied your every move and it worked, except for on one girl. Her name was Emma Majewski and she had to be the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. She was Ridgemont's version of Quinn Fabray and I just couldn't pull the trigger. So I've got to know, how did you do it? How did you get the unmarkable one to complete your cheerleader cover-all, to do what I could never do?"

"You don't want to know," Noah said, disgusted that someone had actually followed his example to sleep with and then not care about girls. "It's a joke. That whole game was just something horrible. I don't want anybody playing it. The person I was in high school, what I did just sleeping with those girls, it's not the person I am now. Nobody should be like that Mike."

"I get that you've changed and all," Mike commented. "I get that the legend ends after you got Quinn and completed the cover-all but I don't get how you did it. I've got to know Noah. Please."

"You really want to know Mike?" Noah said as he pulled on his shirt.

"Please," Mike begged.

Noah shook his head, still regretful of what he did to make Quinn sleep with him. "I took advantage of her. I told her what she wanted to hear. When I got close, I snapped the trap."

"How?" Mike asked, his eyes lit with eager enthusiasm.

"I got her drunk," Noah said disgustedly as he tossed a ball to Mike and walked out of the locker room.


	7. Finn Hudson

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry I am super late in updating. With school back in session and this being my junior year of college, the workload and schedule has become time consuming. Plus, I've also been doing a handful of odd and freelance type jobs in addition to some writing I do the side for a few sports websites. So yeah, no time. Also, I am trying and so far failing to manage two stories at once.**

**I will try to get the updates up timely because of the stories I have written lately, I think this one is my favorite in how it develops. So yeah, I won't keep you waiting!**

And because I haven't really had time to do much in terms of answering reviews (I know, I apologize), I will get to all of them here:

**cassdsassyangel: Hello again :) I'm really glad you found this story and lol, I get being too lazy. Sorry I had to keep you waiting but my schedule, ugh it's been a mess. So anyway yeah, I think you are going to like it, then maybe not like it so much, then like it again. LOL- it's ambiguous but you know me, no spoilers!**

**Charlie: Sorry the update is late, but it's here! And thanks for the review. Glad you like the plot twists, I certainly love to write them haha.**

**Guest: Same goes to you about the late update. Thanks for the review and the kind words. Glad you like the story so far!**

**ToxicWings333: Normally I'd PM you but I'm too lazy for that right now so you get your review comments right here! So first off I want to welcome you to this story and as the newest reader to my alternate realities, I'm really glad you are liking it so far! Glad you liked the last few chapters too. A little author insight: six was one of my favorites to write. IDK where I came up with the idea for cheerleader bingo but the chapter turned out better than even I expected. Sorry for the late update but thanks again for the review!**

**_P.S. - This is the last background chapter before the real story kicks into high gear and I promise you, that is when it gets really, really interesting and intriguing._**

"Hey Finn, Connor's up and he is asking for you," Rachel said as she walked down the stairs in nothing but Finn's tee-shirt.

"Oh okay, thanks Rach," Finn smiled as he kissed her on the lips. "Last night was fun."

"It was," Rachel responded. "Thanks for having me over."

"Anytime," Finn teased. "It was my pleasure."

"I know," Rachel retorted, "but you better go get your son now before he starts crying."

"Yeah you're probably right," Finn acknowledged as he went upstairs.

Rachel went into the kitchen, poured herself a cup of coffee and then took a seat on the couch in the living room. She smiled as she looked around Finn's mom's house, everything as she had remembered. She hadn't realized how much she had missed him.

It had been a little over two years since Rachel had boarded that bus to New York, leaving Finn and all of her friends behind. She wasn't sure what was going to come of it but she promised herself that no matter what happened, she would come back to Ohio. Sure, it happened a little differently than she had originally planned but regardless, she was back in Ohio and her and Finn were trying to work things out and get back together. The long distance still remained a problem but since Rachel had time off from school, she knew she had to return home. What she didn't expect however, was that Finn would have a son and with Quinn nonetheless.

Rachel looked around the room again and instead of pictures of her and Finn, she now noticed a lot of pictures of Finn and the little boy. What she didn't see however, were any pictures with Quinn in them, which Rachel found strange. Rachel continued to look at the pictures when suddenly she heard the doorbell.

"I'll get it," she yelled up the stairs to alert Finn.

Rachel skipped to the door and opening it, was surprised at who answered.

"Mrs. Fabray, uh hi," Rachel said surprised as she greeted her friend's mom.

"Rachel," Judy smiled when she saw her. "I uh didn't expect to see you here and without clothes on."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rachel blushed as she realized she answered the door in nothing but Finn's old football jersey. "Let me change. You're welcome to come in."

"Thank you," Judy said as she took a seat on the couch. "So are you and Finn dating again?"

"Sort of," Rachel said as she returned to the room, fully dressed. "I'm home for a few months so we are trying to work something out. How about you, how is Quinn doing? I haven't heard from her in some time."

"She's having a hard time being away from Beth," Judy responded as she took a sip of the tea Rachel brought her.

"I can only imagine," Rachel said sympathetically. "I'm sure everything will work out though."

"Yes, I'm hoping the same thing," Judy stated. "I don't mean to be rude sweetheart but is Finn home? I need to discuss something with him."

"He's upstairs with the baby," Rachel informed Judy. "Do you want me to get him?"

"That would be great dear, if you don't mind," Judy smiled.

Rachel went upstairs and told Finn about their visitor. He had just gotten Connor back to sleep, so he headed downstairs to greet Quinn's mom.

"Mrs. Fabray, what a pleasant surprise," Finn said cordially as he hugged Judy.

"I hope you don't mind me just stopping by like this," she said. "I should have called. I didn't realize you had company."

"Oh it's not a problem," Finn replied. "As I've told you before, my door is open to you whenever. I wouldn't dream of keeping you from your grandson."

"I appreciate it Finn and please call me Judy," she said before turning to address Rachel. "Rachel, it was lovely to see you again but would you mind leaving me and Finn alone for some time. I have something I need to talk to him about in private."

"Oh of course," Rachel said as she slid on her coat. "I'll be back later," she smiled as she kissed Finn. "It was great seeing you too," Rachel said addressing Judy. "Tell Quinn, I hope to hear from her soon."

"Of course," Judy smiled as she hugged Rachel.

"So can I get you anything?" Finn asked after Rachel left.

"Rachel already did but thank you," Judy said showing Finn her cup. "What is going on between you two anyway, if you don't mind my asking."

"Rachel's in town for a while and the two of us are trying to get back together," Finn admitted.

"Do you think you will?" Judy asked curiously.

"I don't know," Finn said honestly. "I mean a lot has changed since our senior year. I still love her but I just never expected that her two years in New York would have been such a crazy two years for me too. I have a kid now and that is a variable that changes everything."

"I understand," Judy commented. "I truly hope it works out between you though. As much as I would have loved you for a son-in-law, you and Quinn are much better as friends. What you have done for her though, it will always be remembered in my book."

"Thanks Mrs., I mean Judy," Finn said. "I just wish Quinn didn't have to go through what she did. Have you heard from her?"

"Yes and that's actually why I'm here," Judy stated. "I'm worried about her Finn."

"Did something happen?" Finn asked nervously. It wasn't often that he received visits from Quinn's mom and in the past when he did, it was normally not just to say hello. It always had something to do with Quinn.

"No nothing happened, well at least not yet," Judy confessed.

"What do you mean?" Finn asked confused.

"She had planned to go to the University of Connecticut last weekend but something happened, her friend got sick or something so she isn't visiting until this weekend," Judy began.

"UConn," Finn said furiously under his breath. "Why would she want to go back there?"

"Because she has this idea that she can find the person who hurt her," Judy answered. "Also, she thinks that Noah finally deserves to know about Beth."

"I suppose," Finn said, "but what does she think will happen if she finds out who did it? It's not as if it will change anything."

"I know Finn, but I think she just needs to know for her own personal reasons," Judy commented. "Besides, she said that when she finds out she'll be able to come home and hold her son knowing no one will hurt either of them again."

"I hope she finds the closure she needs," Finn said. "I just hope she knows what she is doing. Those guys at the college, they aren't all good guys and I just hope she doesn't get herself into trouble by trying to figure out this information."

"I hope so too Finn and that's why I'm worried," Judy admitted. "I know she wants to come home to you and her son, but at what cost? This plan, it just doesn't seem well thought out. She thinks Noah will help her but I can't be sure."

"I wouldn't be so quick to trust Puck if I were her," Finn said angrily. "In fact, I wouldn't want him anyway near this situation."

"Why is that?" Judy asked. "Her and Noah were always so close. At least with him there, I will know someone will be able to keep my baby safe."

"I wish it were that simple," Finn sighed under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Judy asked, not sure of what he said.

"I just said that I don't know what Puck will be able to do," Finn lied. "I mean he is only a student, I doubt he'll be able to help her that much if at all."

"Yes but it makes me feel a little better knowing she isn't alone," Judy said.

"I understand," Finn replied, tempted to tell Judy and Quinn what he was almost certain he saw happen at the university.

"She actually asked me to come see Connor," Judy continued. "She wanted me to tell him how much she loves him and how soon she will be coming home."

"That's great," Finn smiled, his mind distracted from thoughts of that night. "He's sleeping now but I can go get him."

"No, that's fine," Judy said as she grabbed her purse. "I trust that you are taking care of him."

"I am," Finn assured her. "You know how much I love him and your daughter."

"I know," Judy smiled as she pulled on her coat and prepared to leave. She headed to the door and grabbed the handle. Turning it, she turned around to face Finn.

"Do you regret it?" she asked rather ambiguously.

"Regret what?" Finn asked, unsure of what she was talking about.

"Connor," Judy clarified. "Do you regret stepping up to help Quinn by taking her son in as your own?"

"No, of course not," Finn said instantly before smiling. "I took him in because he is my son and he and Quinn they are my family."

"I figured as much," Judy smiled. "It is just with Rachel back in the picture and how your life has been affected by all of this. I mean having a baby as a teenager is one thing but taking one in when his mother isn't exactly in a good place. You've been a single dad and with the circumstances, you've done something most guys, most teenagers would have never done. You made the ultimate sacrifice and my daughter will always be in your debt."

"It's really nothing," Finn said, "and I wouldn't change it for the world. If I could go back, I wouldn't do anything differently. I owe it to Quinn anyway because of how things between us went down in high school."

"You stepped up in a way no friend would ever be expected to and I can't thank you enough," Judy said before leaving. "Send Connor mine and Quinn's love."

Finn said goodbye to Judy and then closed the door behind him. He sighed as he slid down against the door. Judy was right, no friend would step up the way he did. What she didn't know, what nobody knew however was why Finn did what he did. He blamed himself for that night, for not being more aware, for not keeping her safe. He could have stopped it and he felt that he owed her because he didn't. Finn blamed himself for what happened to her that night so stepping up to take in Connor was the least he could do.

**A/N: So Connor is Finn's son with Quinn. The only question now is why did she abandon him? What happened to her that Finn didn't stop? Is there more to the story than just two exes having a baby? **

**Hit the reviews with your guesses! I'm curious to hear what you think and who knows, one of your guesses could impact how the rest of this story goes.**


	8. Conference Champs

**A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorrrrrrrryyyyy. For those of you reading this story, I apologize that the updates have been crap and not timely and all that. I'm currently in a battle of responsibility with life and well, I'm not winning. So anyway, what I'm going to try to do is post an update at least once a week. I'm gearing in on sundays. If I can post more I will but I will definitely at least try to get a chapter up on sunday. Because of the wait however, here are three chapters to hold you over!**

Also- thanks for the reviews! I appreciate the kind words in all of them and I promise you all, I will get to responding to them as soon as I can!

"Dude, you did it, you freakin did it," Declan screamed in excitement as he charged the mound to congratulate his pitcher. "Conference champs baby!"

"Beasts of the East," Noah smiled as he hugged Declan. The moment between the two was cut short as the rest of the team charged the mound in excitement. In addition to it being UConn's first conference title in over 30 years, it was also Noah's first ever college no-hitter. Needless to say, the environment was electric.

"That was just masterful dude," Declan said when the boys were back in the locker room.

"Yeah I know," Noah smirked. "Couldn't have done it without you though Dec. You called a great game. And you too young James. I was sure Kelson's ball was going to land for a hit."

"I'm just glad we got the title," Jamie said as he patted Noah on the back.

"Big East Champs and College World Series here we come," Declan cheered as he threw his catching mask in the air.

"The road to the finals is paved with one thing boys," Coach Denver Adams said as he walked into the locker room holding a ball in his hands.

"What's that coach?" Declan asked.

"Puckerman's arm," Coach Adams said as he smiled at his star pitcher. "I believe this belongs to you," he added as he handed Noah the ball which he used to pitch the game.

"Three cheers for NP," Declan smiled. "We're riding that arm all the way to the title, ain't that right coach?"

"You better believe it Mr. Cooper," Coach Adams laughed. "So how about we let our star ice his arm and call it a night?"

"Sounds good to me Coach," Mike said. "Besides, I've got some cheerleader bingo to play," he added as he winked at Noah who just rolled his eyes.

"Party continues at my place," Declan announced after the coach had left the locker room. "Hey Noah, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure, what's up D?" Noah asked after the two were alone.

"I started dating this girl and I invited her to stay in the baseball house for the weekend," Declan said.

"Okay," Noah said a little confused. "Just wondering, that concerns me how?"

"I guess it doesn't," Declan shrugged, "I just kind of wanted to get your opinion on it. Do you think it's a good idea?"

"Well, that all depends on your plans for this girl," Noah told him. "If you are just going to wreck and Dec then sure, bring her to a house full of horny baseball players. If you actually want a relationship, which knowing you is probably not the case, then I wouldn't recommend it."

"I only met her like a month ago at this party at her school," Declan said. "It was actually JT who encouraged me to invite her up."

"I wouldn't trust JT as far as I could throw him," Noah expressed. "He's gotten us into trouble before."

"Are you talking about that thing freshman year?" Declan asked. "That was nothing."

"It was more than nothing Dec," Noah said seriously. "You'd feel that way if you ever loved someone as much as I loved my high school girlfriend."

"Maybe, maybe not," Declan conceded. "What I do know is that it's done and over with and there's nothing either of us can do now. So this girl thing, should I call her and cancel?"

"If you can promise me nothing will happen and you won't do anything to her, then sure bring her here," Noah laughed. "It will be a nice change to have a girl that isn't a Conn cheerleader in the house. I swear Mikey and Alex really worry me sometimes. One of them is going to end up getting a girl pregnant. You play cheerleader bingo enough, you kind of end up getting careless."

"Speaking from experience?" Declan questioned.

"You have no idea," Noah said as he walked with Declan back to the baseball house to clean up in preparation for their guest.


	9. An Eerie Familiarity

"You girls ready?" a voice asked as he appeared in the doorway of Quinn and Amanda's room.

"Justin!" Amanda exclaimed as she jumped up to hug her brother. "Quinn, this is my brother Justin. Justin, this is my friend Quinn."

"Nice to meet you Quinn," Justin said as he shook her hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Really, Amanda's talked about me?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, but I was actually talking about someone else," Justin clarified.

"Oh right," Quinn smiled. "I forgot you two knew each other."

"Yeah your boyfriend and I are pretty tight," Justin said. "He's really looking forward to seeing you."

"Same here," Quinn said. "So let's get going, shall we?"

"Sure," Justin said as he winked at Quinn, as if he remembered her. It was a little disconcerting for Quinn because it seemed eerily familiar, like she knew him too.

"You okay Q?" Amanda asked when she noticed Quinn staring into space.

"Yeah, I'm, I'm fine," Quinn said as she continued to eye Justin. "Come on, let's get going."

About an hour later, Quinn, Amanda and Justin arrived at their destination. As they got out of the car, Justin grabbed both of their bags and slung them over his shoulder. "Amanda will be staying with her cousin Kyle and you Quinn, will be staying with the rest of the boys."

"It's a really big house," Quinn said as she looked at the building in front of her. "Do all of you guys live there or just party there?"

Justin laughed. "A few of the boys live there," he commented. "It's a privilege for the senior boys."

"Oh gotcha," Quinn said. "So where do you live?"

"About fifteen minutes outside of town," Justin replied. "I actually graduated four years ago."

"Right," Quinn said as she took a mental note. "Amanda did tell me that."

"Come on Quinn, let's see the house," Amanda said excitedly as she grabbed her friend's arm.

"I'll show you guys your rooms," Justin said as he led the girls inside of the house.

As soon as Quinn walked into the house, she suddenly saw a flash of memories come before her eyes. She took a deep breath. She had been in this house before and she knew she had. She just needed to remember as much as she could while she was there. It was all part of her plan.

"So Declan, you haven't really told me much about this girl," Noah said as he pulled out his key. "What's she like?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Declan responded. "JT texted me and told me they were here."

"Let's meet the lucky lady then," Noah joked as he turned his key to open the door. Walking into the house, Noah threw his coat down on the couch. Declan on the other hand, went up to his room to bring his girlfriend down to meet his best friend.

"Alright NP, you ready?" Declan asked as he started walking down the stairs, his girlfriend following.

"Yeah sure," Noah laughed. As he turned around, he was completely shocked at what or rather who he saw. When she saw him, her reaction wasn't quite as shocked as she knew there was a possibility she would run into him.

"Noah, I'd like you to meet," Declan began before being interrupted.

"Quinn," Noah said, stunned to see his ex -girlfriend.

**Declan and Quinn dating?! If you think that is dramatic, just wait and see what happens next...**


	10. A Much Needed Reunion

"So you two know each other?" Declan asked as he observed the looks between his girlfriend and his best friend.

"I, I don't think so," Quinn began trying not to give anything away. "Wait, you're Noah Puckerman right? I think we met at a party," she finished, her eyes begging for him to confirm her story.

"Right a party," Noah said as his mind went crazy with thoughts of his ex and why she was dating his best friend.

"That's funny," Declan laughed as he put his arm around Quinn, making Noah cringe. "Quinn and I met at a party too. Small world right?"

"Getting smaller by the minute," Noah said as he continued to stare at Quinn.

"Hey D, why don't you and Justin go grab us something to eat?" Quinn suggested. "Mandy and I will stay here."

"Aw but baby Q, you just got here and I want to spend every minute you're here with you," Declan said.

"I know DC, and we can spend all the time together you want after tonight," Quinn smiled her trademark smile, making Declan agree to go grab the food.

"Guess this will give you and my buddy Noah time to get to know each other," Declan said as he put his arm around the two of them.

"Yeah sounds good," Quinn said. "I'll see you later," she added as she gave Declan a quick kiss on the lips before he left and jumped in the car with JT to grab the girls dinner.

Quinn followed Declan out of the house and stood on the sidewalk, waiting until he was out of sight. She took a deep breath and headed back inside to explain to Noah what had just happened.

"Hi," she said, unable to think of anything else to say to him to start the conversation.

"Hi?" he questioned sarcastically. "I haven't seen nor heard from you in four years and now I find out you are dating my best friend and all you can say is hi? Why did you have me lie back there?"

"Declan doesn't need to know we know each other," Quinn admitted. "It's better if he doesn't."

"Why would that be?" Noah asked curiously.

"Let's just say this is more of a business trip than a pleasure one," Quinn informed him.

"That doesn't make any sense," Noah said. "What if I told Declan about you anyway? That kind of puts a wrench in your plan."

"You didn't and I guess part of me knew you wouldn't," Quinn sighed.

"How could you possibly know that?" he asked curiously.

"Because I knew when you wanted to get away from Lima, that you wanted to leave everything and well, everyone behind," Quinn began. "Judging from what I've read online, it seems like you have. You've reinvented yourself as a baseball player and a pretty good one at that, am I right NP," Quinn teased, mocking his nickname.

Noah laughed. "The guys on the team call me that," he told her. "Everybody else at school just calls me Noah."

"Noah huh," Quinn said. "Guess new town, new sport and new name. You'll always be Puck to me though."

"I didn't know you still cared," Noah smirked.

"I'll always care about you Puck," Quinn assured as she rested her hands on his cheeks. "What we went through, I can't not care about or think about you."

"Then why did you want to go separate ways after high school?" Noah asked. "After that kiss when you were helping me study, I thought it meant more than just a kiss. I really thought you and I could find a way to reconcile. That's why I chose to go to Conn, you know that?"

"I didn't know that," Quinn sighed. "And it was more than a kiss, it's just, I wasn't ready to go back into a relationship with you at the time."

"Yeah I guess I wasn't exactly in the best place to be in a relationship either," Noah conceded.

"So we're in agreement?" Quinn asked with a smile.

"Yeah for like the first time ever," Noah smirked.

Quinn laughed. "This is nice. I missed this."

"What?" Noah asked.

"You, me, us. Just talking like this," Quinn admitted. "I've really missed you Noah Puckerman."

"I've missed you too Quinn Fabray," he said as he surprised her by wrapping her in a bear hug. "I missed being able to do this too."

"Careful Puck, you can't be too obvious," Quinn said as she reluctantly pushed his arms away. "My boyfriend might see us."

"Right," Noah said as he moved away from her to the other couch, "boyfriend."

"Sorry?" Quinn said, feeling that he was upset.

"There's no need to be sorry it's just, you and Declan, how did that happen?" he asked.

Quinn stalled until she heard a car pull up outside. "That's Declan," she said as she started to get up, somewhat relieved she didn't yet have to answer Noah's question.

"You didn't answer my question," Noah said grabbing her arm, forcing her on to the seat next to him.

Quinn sighed. "You'll find out everything soon enough, I promise," she said as she softly kissed him on the cheek and headed to the door.

"One more thing," she added as she turned around, both of them noticing Declan and Justin walking away from the car with a pizza. "I've missed that too."

Noah gave a small laugh and then just shook his head as he watched Quinn and Declan engage in a passionate kiss. As much as Noah loved his best friend, he didn't trust him, especially with girls. He knew how Declan was with relationships and how it ended for the girls. The last thing Noah wanted was for Quinn to get hurt, especially since he promised her he would always protect her. Still, he couldn't help thinking that there was something she was hiding from him and that it was something big.

**Guesses on what exactly Quinn might be hiding from Puck?**


	11. The Truth About Connor Hudson

**A/N: Better late than never right? So I know it's Monday and not Sunday but this is my free time. Plus since I made you all wait a day, I'm posting two chapters instead of one! Excitement right? Things are starting to get real serious with this story and all will be revealed soon! Also, love you all for the reviews- I will get around to responding to them!**

"Quinn, it's Finn again. This is like the tenth time I'm calling you. Please call me back when you get these messages. We need to talk, it's important. You're making a mistake going back there. I don't trust those guys at all. You don't need to know to get closure. We can work something out I promise. Just whatever you do, please come back to me, to us in one piece. Your son and I love you okay? Shouldn't that be enough? This quest isn't going to end well, no matter what answers you get. Please just come home."

Finn nervously paced around the room after leaving the message on Quinn's cell. When he heard she was going to UConn to put this plan into motion, he was not at all pleased. From the start, he knew it was a bad idea. Even if she got the answers she seemed to be so desperate to have, Finn knew better than anyone that it wouldn't make things better. In fact, if he was right about his thoughts from that night, the truth might just kill Quinn. He begged her not to go back to UConn, but it was no use. Now he just hoped she would heed his warnings and be careful.

"You still love her don't you?" Rachel asked as she walked into the room, drawing Finn away from his pacing and his thoughts.

"Rachel," Finn said startled. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough," Rachel admitted. "Finn, what exactly are we doing here?"

"What do you mean?" Finn asked.

"I mean this, us," Rachel stated. "Look I wasn't trying to eavesdrop but I heard what you said. You're worried about her, you miss her and you love her. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out."

"Rachel, you should sit down," Finn instructed as he took a seat next to her. "What you heard, is just a very small part of a very complicated story."

"I've got time," Rachel said.

"It's more than that Rach," Finn sighed as he began to pace again.

"You know there used to be a time where we could tell each other anything," Rachel replied as she stood facing him.

"I know babe and I want to tell you I really do, but it isn't mine to tell," Finn admitted as he grabbed her hands. "I can't betray Quinn's trust like that."

"So it's serious?" Rachel questioned, somewhat disappointed that Quinn didn't trust her enough to tell her.

"It has to do with Connor," Finn finally confessed. As much as he wanted to keep Quinn's secret, he didn't want to lose Rachel over it either. He had to find some sort of middle ground, to make her understand without telling her in detail the events of that night.

"You mean your son?" Rachel asked curiously.

"Quinn's son," Finn stated.

"Yes, your son with Quinn," Rachel added starting to get a little confused.

"No Rachel, Quinn's son with someone else," Finn clarified. "Connor isn't mine."

"So she cheated on you?" Rachel asked. "I don't understand Finn, what's going on?"

Finn sighed as he thought about what to say next. "She didn't cheat on me," he began. "In fact, we weren't even together. We had this one night, this stupid drunken night of passion before Connor was born but we weren't together. Not when she got pregnant, not when she gave birth to her son."

"So let me get this straight," Rachel said as she digested Finn's declaration. "Connor isn't yours and you and Quinn weren't together."

"That's correct," Finn confirmed.

"If that's the case then why, why is Connor upstairs sleeping in your guest room?" Rachel finally asked.

Finn sighed again. It was the question he knew he would eventually have to answer. Because he and Quinn slept together a few months before Connor's conception, they were able to pass him off as Finn's son. It was easier that way and it was what they told anyone who asked. Finn knew however that eventually the truth was going to come out. He just hadn't thought about how to address it when it did.

"Quinn doesn't know who Connor's father is," Finn began.

"That doesn't explain why he is here," Rachel countered.

"The circumstances surrounding Connor's conception are really complicated," Finn argued.

"That still doesn't explain things Finn," Rachel said, getting a little annoyed with Finn avoiding her question.

"She was hurt really badly that night by some pretty bad people," Finn continued.

"Finn Hudson," Rachel finally said point blankly. "If you keep dodging my question and refusing to give me a straight answer, then I'm going to walk out this door for good. I love you, but I need you to be straight with me about Quinn. I need you to trust me for this relationship to work."

"Fine," Finn eventually gave in. "I'll tell you. It all started with a party at UConn, Puck's school."

**Getting closer to the truth...**


	12. What Happens at the Baseball House

"So that's when everybody just walked out of the room and the teacher had no idea what to do," Justin said finishing his story and his beer.

"Man you were so cool in high school," Declan said as he had his arm around Quinn and was currently nursing his fourth beer.

"Justin was the coolest," Amanda chimed in, it obvious she had a little too much to drink. "I mean is the coolest," she added as she laughed and fell back in her seat, one of the other baseball boys with his arm around her.

Noah, who had abstained from drinking that night to keep an eye on Quinn, had finally seen enough. It was obvious she had a little too much to drink as he noticed her slurring her words and having a little trouble standing up.

"Want to go to my room so we can have some real fun?" Declan, not particularly drunk, asked Quinn.

"Yeah sure," she said as he helped her off of the couch.

Noah immediately saw this and went over to the steps, blocking the way.

"Hey Noah, where have you been all night?" Declan asked.

"I've got a big test make-up tomorrow," Noah lied. "So I didn't really think drinking was the best idea."

"Yeah definitely," Declan smiled. "Quinn and I are going upstairs to have some fun."

"Yeah, that's not going to happen," Noah retorted, standing his ground.

"And why the hell not?" Declan questioned.

"Uh, that would be because Coach, he uh, he wants us bright and early tomorrow for this important team thing in uh celebration of our win, yeah that's it," Noah said as he figured out his lie. "Coach wants to take us to breakfast tomorrow in celebration of the win and you know how he feels about us drinking."

Declan eyed Noah for a few seconds before looking at a visibly drunk Quinn. "As much as I'd love to W and D this chick because she is totally wasted, I'm more afraid of Coach. I've got to get to bed to try to make sure I don't have a massive hangover tomorrow."

"Yeah D, that's probably a good idea," Noah said as it took everything in his power to prevent him from punching Declan for his comments.

"Yeah, good call No," Declan said as he patted his friend's shoulder before heading for the steps. "Make sure Quinn gets to bed safely okay? I don't want any of these horny guys getting to her before I do, if ya know what I mean."

"I know full well what you mean Declan and yeah I'll make sure none of the guys get to her," Noah promised, more to himself and to Quinn than to Declan.

"Thanks man, you're a good friend," Declan said as he headed up the stairs and closed the door to one of the rooms.

Noah sighed once Declan was out of sight. "Come on Quinn, I'm going to take you back to my dorm," Noah said as he grabbed her arm. "You can sleep there for the night."

"You have a dorm and a room here?" Quinn asked in awe. "Wow."

Noah smiled as he continued to hold her arm all the way back to campus. He helped her up the stairs and then opened the door to his and Declan's dorm room. When they got to the room, he escorted Quinn over to his bed and took a seat next to her.

"You can sleep here for the night," Noah said. "I've got to go back to the house but I'll come back and get you tomorrow before Declan wakes up."

"Puck wait," Quinn said as she sat up on the bed. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?"

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"What's going to happen tomorrow when your baseball coach doesn't take you guys out to breakfast," Quinn said as she swung her legs back and forth over the side of the bed. "Declan's going to know you lied."

"I uh didn't really think about that," Noah said as he was trying to figure out Quinn's sudden change and coherent speech. "I kind of just wanted to get you out of there."

"That was obvious," Quinn smiled. "I guess you really did keep true on that promise you made to me the day we graduated, that no matter how far or if we were together or apart, that you would always protect me."

"How do you remember that and since when can you speak coherent sentences when you're drunk?" Noah questioned curiously.

"Because I'm not as drunk as you think I am," Quinn added as she jumped off of the bed and took a seat in his desk chair.

"What do you mean?" Noah asked.

"You have two rooms, wow," Quinn said, imitating herself from earlier.

"I don't get it," Noah said as he started to realize she wasn't really drunk at all.

"Puck, I'm less drunk than you are right now," Quinn clarified.

"That's not possible, I didn't have anything to drink tonight," he told her as he watched her mannerisms.

"Neither did I," Quinn smiled.

"I saw you drink at least three beers," Noah continued as he tried to figure out how she wasn't drunk. The Quinn he knew in high school got tipsy after just one wine cooler. Clearly, a few beers would have her drunk on her ass.

"Oh you mean like this," Quinn demonstrated as she took a water bottle and pretended to drink it, using her finger to cover the spout of the bottle. She then began walking around with the bottle, casually spilling its contents as she went. After just a few walks around the room she showed him the near empty bottle. Needless to say, Noah was shocked.

"After I finished the first one," Quinn began, "Declan and Justin had already finished two. Amanda was finishing her first and Alex and Mike were at about one and half. Once the guys had about three a piece, it was easy to fake drink. In fact, I didn't even have to fake it. A few times I went to the kitchen to get the guys more beer. When I came back, I always had an unopened can. I'm pretty sure Declan thought I had like five or six. Of course he thought it would be easy to get me to bed. Wow, that guy is an ass."

"So you didn't have anything to drink?" Noah asked, pretty impressed by how Quinn faked it.

"I'm not stupid Puck," she told him. "In a strange place with guys I don't know, I'm not going to lose my faculties and let someone take advantage of me. Not again."

"What do you mean not again?" Noah asked nervously.

"Uh, never mind," Quinn quickly said.

"Q, you told me earlier that I find out everything soon enough," Noah began. "What exactly did you mean by that?"

Quinn sighed. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you that's well overdue."

"What is it Quinn?" Noah asked. "You know you can tell me anything."

"Right," Quinn said as she took a deep breath. "It's about our daughter."


	13. Not an Update Be Back Soon!

Hi guys.

First off, to anyone still reading, I would like to apologize. I had every intent to work on this and upload new chapters over my Christmas break but life kind of got in the way. Now I am bogged down with college assignments, searching for internships/jobs, work, etc.

I recently got a PM though from somebody wanting answers so I figured it is only fair of me to let you guys know what is going on with this story.

This is not a goodbye, just a see you later. I do still care about this story and in writing it and really do enjoy it. That said, right now I cannot justify prioritizing it above school work and a means of making money in my future. This is just a hobby and one that has to go on the backburner for now.

While I will not promise when, I do promise that this story will see a conclusion and one fitting of what has been written so far. I know I owe it to you to finish this out and I have every intention to do so.

So be on the lookout, around mid May or early June, as that is when I am done school and will have more time to devote to this.

I apologize for the inconvenience as I am not a patient person either. I hope you all continue reading WHEN the story comes back :)


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